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Get to know the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark’s new home in the WNBA
Caitlin Clark has opportunity to reinvigorate franchise that has struggled in recent years
John Steppe
Apr. 15, 2024 6:43 pm, Updated: Apr. 15, 2024 8:11 pm
IOWA CITY — Lin Dunn has made her vision for the Indiana Fever abundantly clear since returning to the organization as its general manager in 2022.
“We’re going to get the Fever back on track to being who we’re supposed to be,” Dunn reminded reporters in December when the Fever received the first overall pick via the draft lottery. “We’re a playoff team. We’re a team that challenges for championships.”
If Dunn’s vision becomes reality — something that seems more realistic now that Caitlin Clark is officially a member of the Fever — it would be a considerable improvement from where Indianapolis’ WNBA team has been in recent years.
The Fever have won only 23 percent of their games over the last four seasons and never finished above 10th overall in the 12-team league during that span.
The franchise has not advanced to the playoffs since 2016 — Hall-of-Famer Tamika Catchings’ last season before retiring — and has not won a playoff series since their 2012 championship run.
Catchings has been by far the most accomplished player to don a Fever uniform since the franchise’s inception in 2000. The former Tennessee standout was a WNBA All-Star in 10 of her 16 seasons in the league and was a five-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She was the 2011 WNBA MVP and led the Fever to their only WNBA title in 2012.
Who are the standout players on the Indiana Fever roster Caitlin Clark is joining?
Almost a decade after Catchings’ last game in a Fever uniform, another talented core of players appears to be emerging — a core obviously headlined by Clark, but not exclusive to the back-to-back collegiate National Player of the Year.
Aliyah Boston, the first overall pick in last year’s draft and the WNBA Rookie of the Year, averaged 14.5 points per game while shooting an efficient 57.8 percent from the field in her first year with the Fever.
When the 6-foot-5 forward/center was on the court, the Fever scored 105.5 points per 100 possessions. When she was not on the floor, the Fever scored 86.4 points per 100 possessions.
She helped Indiana go from a five-win season in 2022 to a 13-win season in 2023 — the biggest year-to-year improvement in franchise history.
NaLyssa Smith, the second overall pick in the 2022 draft, also is a key part of what the Fever accomplish down low. The former Baylor standout averaged a team-high 9.2 rebounds per game and was second on the team with 15.5 points per game in 2023.
“We really like our inside combo with Smith and Boston — the two young bigs,” Dunn said in December.
In the backcourt, Kelsey Mitchell is “one of the best two-guards in this league,” Dunn said. The former Ohio State guard — she held the Big Ten scoring record before Clark broke it this year — led the Fever in 2023 with 18.2 points per game.
“Probably hasn’t gotten the recognition, because she’s been on a losing team, that she deserves,” Dunn said of the 5-8 guard.
Christie Sides is the Indiana Fever head coach
On the sidelines, Christie Sides has brought plenty of energy in her second season as the Fever’s head coach. Sides joked at one postgame news conference that her “cough drops just aren’t working,” according to an article from The Next.
“Enthusiasm is contagious,” Dunn said of Sides’ energetic coaching style.
While Indiana has shown improvement in many areas, defense is atop the list of areas where the Fever continue to struggle. The Fever finished 11th out of 12 teams last year with 106.9 points allowed per 100 possessions.
“I was disappointed in our defense this year,” Dunn told reporters in December. “Everybody knows that. The staff knows that. We don’t have to be No. 1, but I want us to be in the top eight. I’d be happy if we’re eighth in the defensive categories.”
How Caitlin Clark fits with the Indiana Fever
Clark’s skill set could offset some of the Fever’s recent shortcomings and complement many of the existing strengths of the Fever’s roster.
As much as Clark’s scoring prowess deservedly grabs headlines, her passing skills also should provide an immediate boost to the Fever, who had a WNBA-low 59.7 percent of field goals that came off assists.
The Clark-Boston connection at Gainbridge Fieldhouse could somewhat resemble Clark’s chemistry in her three years with Monika Czinano at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mitchell gives the Fever another outside threat who does not need a high volume of shots to be effective.
ESPN commentator and Hall-of-Famer Rebecca Lobo told The Gazette before Clark’s last regular-season game that Indiana is a “great place for her to go.”
“I think she will still have a really high usage rate,” Lobo said. “I think she’ll still get to take between 15 and 20 field goal attempts per game. I think she has a chance to average similar assist numbers because of the quality of players that are around her and the spacing that’ll be around her.”
Defense can be a challenge for any WNBA rookie guard, but Lobo noted “the players around her will be a little bit better in terms of team defense than what she has in college.”
“And that’s not a knock on Iowa,” Lobo said. “That’s just the case any time a player goes from college to the pros.”
How to watch Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in 2024
The WNBA regular season spans from early May to mid-to-late September. Many teams, including the Fever, have already begun selling single-game tickets.
Fever games relatively close to Iowa include June 23 in Chicago, July 14 in Minneapolis, Aug. 24 in Minneapolis and Aug. 30 in Chicago.
For those not looking to travel, 36 of Clark and the Fever’s 40 regular-season games will air on national television or stream on Amazon Prime. Here is a breakdown of the Fever’s TV schedule:
- 13 games on NBA TV
- Eight games on ION
- Five games on ESPN
- Four games on Amazon Prime
- Two games on ABC
- Two games on CBS
- One game on ESPN2
- One game on CBS Sports Network
Fans can watch the remaining four regular-season games by purchasing WNBA League Pass, which costs $34.99 for an entire season for $2.99 for a single game.
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Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com
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